Small Beginnings
by toriinn
Summary: Mirai spends the night at Akihito's for the first time. Post episode 12


"Are you sure, Senpai?" Kuriyama Mirai asked, looking at the taller blond with those amber eyes, framed by her beautiful red glasses. She had been doing homework in his small apartment and the snow had gotten too high for her to go home in the flimsy shoes she came over in. So, he told her to spend the night.

"I'm not letting you walk home in this. You're feet will get soaked and you'll get sick," Akihito said bluntly. Moving away from the window, he sat on the small couch in front of the small television – everything in his apartment seemed to be small – and patted the seat next to him, inviting the bespectacled beauty over. She hugged her arms closer to her chest and just frowned at him. "Kuriyama-san, really. I don't have any ulterior motives I promise. I'm not Hirōmi."

More frowning. "Fine," he said, turning his attention to whatever show was playing "stand there and freeze." He shot a glance towards her and didn't understand how her mouth could make that shape, and if it hurt her to do so. She huffed, and trudged her way over to the couch, where she say down very unhappily and pulled her knees to her chest, but not before whispering a quick "how unpleasant."

_Who sits like that on a couch?_ Akihito mentally shrugged and pulled a blanket out from the space between the wall and the couch. He threw it over them – Mirai couldn't help but move from her scrunched up position to accept the large sheet of fabric – and pretended to watch the TV.

This was the first time Mirai had ever spent the night. He already knew that she would take his bed and he would sleep on the floor, but what if she had to shower, or take medicine for something like her anemia. He didn't have enough food for two people. How long was this snow going to last? What if the power went out? He didn't have a space heater! Would they have to use each other for warmth? What if they –

"Senpai?" Mirai's small voice brought him out of his growing panic. "Are you sure it's okay for me to stay over?" she asked again. Looking at her, Akihito understood that she was more upset that she would be causing an inconvenience for him rather than being upset that she would be stuck with him. He let out a chuckle, and moved to put his arm around her, but reconsidered and just put it on the back of the couch.

"Of course! It's nice to have company, especially one as cute as you."

He was an idiot. How did that actually come out of his mouth. Mirai turned a shade darker than her hair and turned her full attention to the television without even giving him a response. Although, it was true, but he never intended to say something as cheesy as that. Holy crap, he pretty much just ruined everything. He inwardly – and outwardly – groaned and put his hand over his face in complete shame. "Kuriyama-san, I...I shouldn't have said that I'm sorry."

"It's fine!" she stammered, still staring at the television. She was flustered – who wouldn't be? – but her voice had raised so many octaves that Akihito was certain that if she continued to speak she would end up breaking glass.

Silence. Silence was best for this kind of situation so that's what he did. There was no noise save for the sounds coming from the small screen. It seemed like hours, but it was actually about seven minutes that they stayed like that. Not looking at each other, not talking to each other, not even breathing too loudly. Then, Mirai cleared her throat and turned to look at him. Amber met chocolate and very quietly she whispered "You think I'm cute?"

Akihito stared at her, flabbergasted. Finally some sense kicked in. "O-of course I do! You're completely adorable, Kuriyama-san!" Stupid, again, but she _did_ ask. Mirai just stared at him for a moment, then downcast her eyes and whispered the second "how unpleasant" of the night. She did seem more relaxed though. "How could I not think you're cute?" _Stop talking oh my god._

She shrugged, still refusing to look at him and only at the floor. He noticed his hand was moving. Towards her face. _No. No no no nononononono. _He cupped her chin and gently raised her pink haired and faced head to meet his eyes. "Kuriyama-san – "

"It! It's getting late, Senpai! We should go to bed soon!" Mirai basically shouted and stood up, taking the majority of the blanket with her and proceeded to run into the bathroom down the hall. Akihito was about to call out and tell her that his bedroom was down the hall, but before he could say anything she was off again and out of sight. Not knowing whether to sigh or laugh, he did both as he got up to follow the girl that had tried to kill him multiple times. She had managed to find his room, and had curled up on the floor with the blanket she had taken.

"No."

She looked up, but only just. He could see the red frame of her glasses over the massive heap of fabric covering her. "One, you're not sleeping on the floor. You'll take the bed. Two, you can't sleep in that." She had come over in a sweater, a skirt, and of course tights. "You'll get way too hot and I can't imagine sleeping in tights is comfortable. Here," he moved past her to the dresser by the bed "I'll let you borrow some clothes." She didn't say anything, but sat straight up and shook her head so hard he thought it would fly off her neck.

"I couldn't possibly – !" Mirai began, but was silenced when a tee shirt and a pair of shorts were thrown at her. Akihito had also grabbed a pair of each for himself – although it was sweatpants instead of shorts.

"I'll go change in the bathroom." And then he left her in his room, closing the door behind him because girls need a certain amount of privacy. Even spending the night with a boy one wasn't dating for a long time was imposing on that privacy, but it was better than her getting frostbite. Akihito changed quickly in the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and then turned off the television that was still on in the living room. Now his whole apartment was completely silent. Just like he was used to. Pausing, he began to turn off the lights while he was out there, and then headed back down the hall to his still closed bedroom door, his bespectacled beauty waiting on the other side of it. He knocked – of course, he wasn't just going to walk in – and waited for a response. He got none.

"Um, Kuriyama-san? Are you done changing?" he asked, pressing his ear to the door in case she was actually saying something but it was too soft to make it through the already flimsy door. Again, nothing. "Kuriyama-san? I'm gonna come in, okay?" Reaching up for the knob, Akihito turned it and began to open the door very slowly. The first thing he saw was her clothes folded neatly in the corner. Next was that she was already in his bed. He smiled and shook his head, guessing she was more tired than she let on and had fallen asleep as soon as her pretty head hit the pillow. He walked over, thankful she had left the blanket on the floor for him, and noticed that she was still wearing her glasses. "Now that just won't do," he whispered, gently reaching over and taking them off her face. He wouldn't want such a precious item to get damaged, and placed them on the bedside table with such delicacy that one would think they would shatter at the slightest touch.

Like she did. Akihito pushed the painful memory back in his mind. It was too much, and those months without her scarred him. He didn't know how she came back, but he didn't care. He had her now and he wouldn't let her go again even if it killed him. His eyes moved back towards the girl he adored sleeping in his bed, and just gazed at her. He always knew she was beautiful, but seeing her peaceful face, so angelic and pure, just amplified it. She was gorgeous, and he didn't know how people didn't notice. Akihito brushed a small stray hair off of her face, his breath catching as he prepared himself.

"I love you."

He had said something similar, but never those three words in that order. As soon as they were off his tongue he knew just how true they were and just how done for he was for this girl. This girl that tried to kill him countless times, and then saved his life so many more. And in so many ways. God, he loved her.

Mirai's face twitched and he froze. Was she really asleep? Had she heard him? "Senpai..." Akihito was as still as he could muster, not even daring to breathe. She opened one eye and squinted. Then rolled over. "Don't sleep on the floor." It was muffled by the pillow, but he heard it clear as day; and he was frozen for another reason.

"Are you sure?" he asked, terrified that she would say no, and even more so that she would say _yes._ She did neither – only nodded and moved closer to the wall to give him more room.

Carefully, he climbed into bed with her. Never in a million years did he think this would actually happen. It did in his dreams – more than once, and many of them involved much less clothing – but he would never let her know that.

He didn't know what to do with his hands. Should he put them on her waist, under his pillow that they were currently sharing? How did people do this on a normal basis?

"Senpai it's cold." Mirai then turned over and buried her face in his chest. _Okay._ Now knowing what she wanted him to do, Akihito wrapped his arms around the petite girl and pressed his lips gently to the top of her hair.

"Tomorrow morning can you make me breakfast?" she asked from his chest. Smiling, he nodded.

"Of course. We'll have pancakes."

"And hot chocolate."

He laughed, this time not worrying about the noise. "And hot chocolate," he agreed. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her against him, and slowly began to drift off to sleep.

"Oh, and Senpai?" she asked, which elicited a "hmm?" from the sleepy blond. "I love you too."

His heart fluttered, and he squeezed her to him. He felt her arms envelope him as he once again drifted off; the last things he remembered were the smell of her strawberry shampoo and the light flutter of her lips on his collar bone.


End file.
